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    Home » Huskies shoot themselves out of the season
    Basketball

    Huskies shoot themselves out of the season

    Art ThielBy Art ThielMarch 11, 202023 Comments2 Mins Read
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    After two great seasons, Mike Hopkins’ third year was a clunker. / Alan Chitlik, Sportspress Nothwest

    So much for four in a row. The Huskies couldn’t get one. Now they’re done.

    Four days after beating the Wildcats in Tucson, Washington was a horrendous 3-for-23 beyond the arc and crashed out of the Pac-12 Conference men’s basketball tourney in Las Vegas Wednesday afternoon with a 77-70 loss to Arizona. The defeat almost certainly ends their season, unless the NIT field is even worse off than the basketball world already knows.

    After winning three of their final four regular season games, the Huskies (15-17) tried to talk themselves into thinking they were capable of running the table from the tourney’s 12th seed for the automatic berth in the NCAA tourney. Hah.

    The Huskies starters missed 11 of 12 threes, and as a team committed 19 turnovers to put the lie to the late-season revival.

    Don’t blame Isaiah Stewart. The precocious freshman had a career-high 29 points (and the lone trey by a starter) and 12 rebounds, helping get UW to within five in the final minute. But fifth-seeded Arizona (21-11) had plenty of cushion, thanks in part to a 6½-minute run in the first half when they held UW without a field goal.

    The Huskies, picked third in the Pac-12 preseason poll, got off to a 10-2 start, then lost point guard Quade Green to academic ineligibility. They fell apart, until sweeping the Arizona schools on the road, including a 69-63 Saturday at McHale Center.

    Coach Mike Hopkins, conference coach of the year his first two seasons at UW, changed lineups and strategies, to no avail, finishing last in a mediocre league. He ended up benching freshman Jaden McDaniels, who Wednesday had 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting and made four turnovers before fouling out after 30 minutes.

    McDaniels and Stewart have been assumed eager to declare for the NBA draft, although anything beyond the next hour is suddenly a profound mystery in American sports.

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    23 Comments

    1. Husky73 on March 11, 2020 10:36 pm

      Assuming that both freshmen declare for the NBA, Hopkins is left with a bottom-of-the-conference roster. It will be interesting to see what he does in the next six months to put together a viable 2020-2021 team.

      • coug73 on March 12, 2020 10:02 am

        The one and done rule is a sad situation for college hoops. Losing talent early hurts the game. However, I respect players having the opportunity to cash in on their talent. Cougs get a tournament win for the first time in ages. The Cougs will lose talent after this season.

        • Husky73 on March 12, 2020 2:50 pm

          The Cougs got a good coach, and I like the football coach. Both are big upgrades. The “Oregon formula” of 3-4 year players is the way to go.

          • art thiel on March 12, 2020 4:44 pm

            Coaches don’t intend to recruit one-and-dones, except maybe Calipari. They all want four-year guys, but the marketplace is what it is.

        • art thiel on March 12, 2020 4:42 pm

          First in 11 years for Cougs. Elleby is fun to watch.

      • art thiel on March 12, 2020 4:41 pm

        He is permitted to recruit.

        • Husky73 on March 12, 2020 5:52 pm

          Most are already committed.

    2. jafabian on March 12, 2020 10:05 am

      Nice seeing the team finally play to their potential but it was going to go only so far. At least Stewart played with the team instead of opting out to save himself for the draft.

      It seemed the team began to have problems when they blew a 14 point lead to Houston in the Diamond Head Classic. Their issues were much deeper than losing Quade Green. I would be very surprised if some players weren’t gently nudged to explore their options at other schools.

      • art thiel on March 12, 2020 4:40 pm

        Doubtful about the nudge from Hopkins. They had no quality point guard, and Jaden McDaniels is selfish and overrated. Remember Tony Wroten?

        • 1coolguy on March 12, 2020 9:57 pm

          Without a quality point guard, fuggedaboutit! Same as if Eason was lost for the season, it would have been a disaster. A quality point guard is the bb teams QB.

    3. WestCoastBias79 on March 12, 2020 12:46 pm

      With the conference tourney canceled, I guess their miracle shot at the tourney was doomed even if they won, but I can’t think of a more disappointing season since the Bob Weiss Sonics.

      • Husky73 on March 12, 2020 2:49 pm

        How about the 77-19 Mariners?

        • art thiel on March 12, 2020 4:38 pm

          The Mariners started 13-2 last year, Huskies started 10-2. Hmm . . .

          Difference was no one expected anything from Mariners. Then, or ever. Huskies had talent.

          • Husky73 on March 12, 2020 5:51 pm

            Ever? Geez, give me some hope….

            • 1coolguy on March 12, 2020 9:55 pm

              Yes, EVER.The M’s are a lost ship at sea, always in search of port.

        • 1coolguy on March 12, 2020 9:53 pm

          How about every Mariner team since 2002?

          • Husky73 on March 12, 2020 11:07 pm

            Most season tickets are bought by businesses who use them for employees and clients.

    4. Richie Rich on March 12, 2020 2:48 pm

      There needs to be a different avenue for players who intend on being 1-&-dones. As seen here, it hurts the team, could put coach’s jobs at risk (a’ la’ Romar), and makes the college game harder to watch.
      I was spoiled during the ’80’s and ’90’s when you’d watch teams grow up and battle each other year-after-year. Hardly see any real rivalries any more.

      • art thiel on March 12, 2020 4:31 pm

        The same complaint has been levied since the NBA imposed the rule in 2006. What might change it is the NCAA having to compensate players starting in 2023, allowing the players to argue they no longer have to go to a college for a year because they are professional either way.

      • Kirkland on March 13, 2020 9:27 am

        I’m interested to see how many go to the G-League versus college. Having multiple developmental routes alongside the NCAA works out for baseball (low minors like the Aquasox), hockey (WHL) and MLS (team academies).

    5. PeterGunn on March 12, 2020 5:57 pm

      The NIT? My left foot!
      There won’t be an NIT; not this year in any case. They’re turning off the lights on Broadway, calling out the National Guard to a NYC suburb. Nope… NO NIT this year!

    6. 1coolguy on March 12, 2020 9:43 pm

      So if they were 9 for 23 from 3 they win – oh, they will remember this meltdown the rest of their lives. What a shame, and 9 for 23 is a very do-able 39%. Wow.

      • Dan Kearney on March 13, 2020 4:19 pm

        Not even nine — had they hit six of 23 three-point shots (~25 percent), that’s 79 points.

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